New York Red Bulls star midfielder Lewis Morgan underwent successful hip surgery on Thursday, the team announced, and will miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
The 26-year-old Scottish talent had battled hip issues all season, appearing in only five Major League Soccer matches. He missed nearly two months before a very short return, going off during a June 3 match against Orlando City.
Morgan hadn’t appeared in league play since then but did come on for the penalty shootout of their Round of 16 loss to the Philadelphia Union at the Leagues Cup on Aug. 8. It initially suggested that he was trending in the right direction for a return, but a setback suffered in mid-August effectively ended his campaign.
His absence has provided a significant void for the Red Bulls this season, especially when it comes to finding consistent goal-scoring. He led the club last season with 14 MLS goals and 18 in all competitions, becoming the first Red Bulls player to score more than 12 goals in a season since Bradley Wright-Phillips in 2008.
With seven games remaining in the MLS season, the Red Bulls are hanging on to the playoff picture by a thread with 29 points — five back of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, which is the final postseason berth. Their 24 goals rank second-worst in the conference behind lowly Toronto FC.
